Means and method for applying adhesive to container rims



Sept. 13, 1960 H. E. STOVER 2,952,239 MEANS AND METHOD FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TO CONTAINER RIMS Y Filed May 8. 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WWWM ATTORNEY sep 13, 166 H. E. S'f'OVER 2,952,239

MEANS AND METHOD FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TO CONTAINER RIMS Filed May 8, 1956 3 S eeee s-Sheet 2 Sept. 13, 1960 H, E. STOVER 2,952,239

MEANS AND METHOD Fok APPLYING ADHESIVE TO CONTAINER RIMS Filed May a, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Harry E Sim/er ATTORNEY United States Patent 9 FiledMay s, 1956,.Ser. No. 583,551 1 Claim. (Cl. 11s 244 The present invention relates to a mechanism for applying seals to the rims of containers and more particularly to an improved roller mechanism for applying adhesive to rims of containers for gluing a thin disc thereon to provide a pilferproof and leakproof closure over the mouth of the container.

Where containers are sealed with a replaceable cap, the contents may be partially removed and, with wine, for example, replaced with water, thereby impairing the quality. V I

To overcome these defects, products, particularly containers for coffee and bottles for wine, are provided with a separate seal in the formof an inexpensive imperforate sheet material disc, which may be torn off by the consumer after the closure is removed.

' This type of safety seal generally is secured over the rim of a container by gluing it in place. The method commonly used for applying the seal is to coat the rim of the container with a film of suitable adhesive and then to press the sealing disc firmly into contact with the adhesive. It has been found to be convenient'to place the sealing disc inside a cap or cover for a container and then simply to screw the cap or cover securely on the top of the container so as to bring the disc into tight sealing engagement with the adhesive. If the bond between the disc and the rim of the container is secure, the closure may be unscrewed and removed without pulling off the disc. On the other hand, if the adhesive does not secure the disc continuously about the rim, there is atendency for the closure to pull the disc oif the rim when it is removed. In that case, the consumer is inclined to believe that someone has tampered with the package and that the cover and the disc have been previously removed. It is therefore important to have adequate adhesive between the rim and the disc and to obtain a secure bond to afford a leakproof seal and also to prevent the disc from coming off with the closure.

In the prior practice, a smooth cylindrical roller has been utilized for applying the adhesive. The film of adhesive does not give a secure bond in all cases. In addition, due to limitations in the manufacture of glass containers there are irregularities in the rims of contain: ers. In some instances, in the molding of the rim, the molten glass will sag, or in other cases it will be pulled up in the removal from the mold and depressions and protuberances result. Also, one side of the rim of the container may be slightly higher than the other. Attempts have been made to overcome such irregularities by-universally mounting the roller so that it could tilt where one side was higher than the other, but it has not been possible to eliminate defective seals.

In accordance with the present invention, an improved roller is provided for assuring the application of a greater amount ofadhesive, spread more uniformly over the rim of the container, so that a secure seal is obtained. Ap-

plicant has discovered that by providing recesses or groovesin the roller,which in the preferred embodiment may be a series of peripheral grooves, the adhesive will ice be deposited in a series of bands or spots on the rim of the container. With an adhesive of proper viscosity, the edges of the bands will merge before the cap is applied and provide a uniform coating of adhesive of greater thickness. than with prior methods. If any bands do not merge with adjoining bands to form a uniform coating, the adhesive therein will be forced over the intermediate portions on application of the closure to provide a uniform coating of adhesive and a very secure bond between the disc and the rim of the container. The grooves also minimize the tendency for the adhesive to pile up in frontof the roller during application.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for uniformly applying a film of adhesive to'container rims.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved means which will uniformly apply adhesive to container rims and thereby provide a better bond between the rim and the safety seal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for applying the adhesive to the rims of containers whereby irregularities in the rims of the containers such as depressions and bulges will not impair the bond formed with the safety seal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for applying a series of bands of adhesive to the rims of the container so that the adhesive in the bands will spread over the intermediate portions to provide a secure bond between the sealing disc and the rim of the container.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an embodiment of this invention showing an adhesive applying roller and an adhesive feeding reservoir with a container underneath the roller having its rim in contact with the roller in position for the application of adhesive thereto;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the roller showing a preferred embodiment thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the roller with one of the end plates partly broken away, showing the details of the locking means;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary side view of the roller and a container, showing the roller passing over a depression (exaggerated for illustrative purposes) in the container rim;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary side view of the roller and a container, showing the roller passing over a high portion (exaggerated for illustrative purposes) in a container rim;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary top view illustrating a container rim to which adhesive has been applied by equipment embodying the present invention;

Fig 7 is a plan view, partly in section, of the roller and adhesive reservoir shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the mounting of the roller on the adhesive reservoir;

.Fig. 8 is a sectional View, taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7, showing the relationship of an adhesive applying roller and means for removing excess adhesive from the ro er;

Fig. 9 is an elevational side view ofa machine embracing the present invention and showing an adhesive apply: ing roller and an adhesive reservoir in position on. a mechanism for driving the roller; and

Fig. is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the means for removing excess adhesive from the roller.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved adhesive applying mechanism, made in accordance with the present invention, includes a reservoir 4 adapted to hold a substantial quantity of adhesive 8 and to supply a regulated flow of it to a rotating adhesiveapplying roller 2. The reservoir comprises side walls 9, a rear wall 10, and a bottom wall 11 for storingthe adhesive and is formed with an open gateway at the front thereof to provide for the desired supply of adhesive to the roller 2. This supply is obtained by mounting the roller 2 in the gateway for continuous contact with the adhesive in the reservoir by forming the side walls 9 of the reservoir with ears 7, extending outwardly on each side of the gateway, and rotatably supporting the roller 7. in the gateway by means of a shaft 5 mounted in journals 53 in the ears 7.

In order to assure a uniform application of the desired quantity of adhesive to a container rim, the roller of the present invention is formed with a core 15 surrounded by a sleeve 16 of deformable resilient material, such as rubber, stretch fitted over the core 15 and bonded thereto by a suitable cement. End plates 18 are secured to the ends of the core 15 by screws 19 and extend beyond the periphery of the core 15 to aid in holding the sleeve 16 in place. This deformable resilient sleeve 16 is formed of a thickness sufficient to allow easy deformation and ready return to its original configuration as it passes over a container rim and contacts irregularities in its surface, and a regular pattern of peripheral recesses is formed in its surface, preferably by a series of substantially rectangular section peripheral grooves 20, for carrying adhesive from the reservoir to the container rims. The grooves 24} preferably extend circumferentially around the roller 2, and, for ease in manufacture, may be formed as a continuous spiral thread around the sleeve 16.

In accordance with this invention, the width and depth of the grooves may be varied depending upon the amount of adhesive to be carried to the container rims and upon the size of the container rims. The viscosity of the adhesive also affects its fiowability from the grooves to container rims and, therefore, also must be considered in the selection of the size of the grooves in the roller. It has been found desirable to vary the groove size in accordance with the container rim size, since several grooves in the width or thickness of a container rim is helpful.

The width and depth of the grooves thus is dependent upon the amount of adhesive to be stored, the viscosity of the adhesive, and the diameter and thickness of the rim of the container to which adhesive is to be applied. The grooves are capillary so as to take up adhesive from the reservoir 4 and to hold it until it is squeezed or drawn out by contact with a container rim. However, if it is desired to store more adhesive, the grooves are made wider and deeper, whereas, if it is desired that less adhesive be stored, the grooves are made narrower and more shallow. When an adhesive having a high viscosity is used, the grooves are made deeper and wider to permit the adhesive to be more easily removed, whereas, when an adhesive having a low viscosity is used, the grooves may be narrower and more shallow since the adhesive will flow easier. Usually, if the containers have wide rims, larger grooves should be used, whereas if the container has a narrow rim, smaller grooves should be used. An example of the size of these grooves is a roller sleeve about three and a half inches wide formed with spiral grooves, one-thirty second of an inch wide, ten to fifteen thousands of an inch deep, and sixteen threads per inch.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, when the roller 2 passes over the rim 3 of a container, pressure between the container rim and the roller causes adhesive to be deposited from the grooves 20 upon the container rim 3 in a series of substantially parallel alternate heavy zones 23 and light zones 24, as shown in Fig. 6. If the rim 3 contains depressions, such as depression 25, Fig. 4, the pressure of the roller on the rim and the flexibility of the roller sleeve 16 causes the roller to deflect into the depression 25 and to deposit adhesive therein. Similarly, if the rim surface contains a bulge or a high portion 26, Fig. 5, the roller sleeve 16 is compressed and adhesive is deposited from the grooves 20 over the bulged rim surface.

In order to adhere a safety seal to a container rim, a screw cap (not shown), having an imperforate sheet material disc safety seal therein, may be screwed on the container by a twisting, turning, or rotating motion so that the safety seal contacts the adhesive and becomes securely sealed to the rim. The bands of adhesive have spread into a substantially uniform coating on the rim. If any bands do not merge to form a uniform coating, the adhesive therein will be forced over the intermediate portions on application of the closure. Also, the adhesive has been applied to the low portions 25 and over the high portions 26, as well as on the flat portions of the rim 3. Thus, the method of applying a safety seal according to the present invention completely coats the rim 3 of a container 1, regardless of the presence of irregular high or low portions therein and forms a continuous leakproof seal.

Regulation of the quantity of adhesive carried by the roller and assurance of a minimum of adhesive on the outer surface of the roller sleeve 16, between the grooves 20, is provided by scraping excess adhesive from the surface of the roller. This scraping of the roller may conveniently be done by a cylindrical scraper member 36) formed with a scraping or wiping edge 32 adapted to engage the surface of the roller. This cylindrical scraper member 30 is adjustably seated in a conforming cylindrical bore 31 in a boss 13 formed on the lower outer edge of the gateway end of the reservoir for varying the position of the scraping edge 32 in relation to the roller. In order to adjust the scraping edge 32. to scrape off more or less adhesive, as may be desired, the scraper 30 has an arm 33 attached thereto which can be rocked to turn the scraper in its seat 30. The arm 33 has its free end movably mounted on a bracket 34 mounted on the reser voir 4 by means of the screw 35, so that turning of the arm 33 in one direction or the other by screw 35 turns the scraper 30 to move the edge 32 toward roller 2 for scraping off a greater of excess adhesive or away from the roller 2 to relieve the pressure of the edge 32 on the roller 2, so that a lesser amount of adhesive is scraped off the roller. To keep the arm 33 tensioned in the desired position, a compression spring 36 is provided on the screw 35 between the arm 33 and the bracket 34. Leakage of adhesive from the reservoir past the ends of the roller 2 is prevented by a pair of sealing blades 12 secured to the inner sides of the reservoir ears 7 and shimmed to provide a close running clearance with the outer surfaces of the adjacent roller end plates 18, as is more clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

In Fig. 10 of the drawing there is shown a modified scraping device comprising a sliding scraper 14 held to the enlargement 13 of bottom wall 11 of the reservoir 4 by pins 17 riding in a slot 2']. in the scraper 14. By loosening the pins 17, the scraper 14 can be moved toward or away from the roller 2 to scrape off more or less of the adhesive, as may be desired.

In order to permit the roller 2 to be readily removed from and replaced on the shaft 5 for repairs or cleaning, the roller 2 is provided with a dog 37 slidably seated in a recess 38 in one face of the roller and adapted to extend into a complementary keyway (not shown) in the shaft 5 for providing a driving connection between the roller and the shaft. The dog 37 is biased inwardly by a spring 39 compressed between its seat on the outer end of the dog and the outer wall of the recess 38, thus biasing the dog 37 into the keyway in the shaft 5. The dog 37 is secured in the recess 38 by a screw 40 which threadedly engages a complementary threaded socket in the roller core. The stem of this screw 40 is formed with a cam surface 41 arranged in engagement with a slot 42 in the dog 37, such that the dog 3-7 can be shifted back and forth in its seat by turning the screw 40 in its socket. When the screw 40 is turned in one direction, the cam surface 41 lifts the key 37 upwardly against the tension of the spring 39, and when the screw 40 is released, the spring 39 forces the key 37 downwardly against the action of the cam surface 41. The spring 39 also serves to prevent the dog 37 from sliding out of the keyway in the shaft 5 when the shaft is rotating.

In accordance with the present invention, the roller 2, together with the reservoir 4 on which it is mounted, is associated with a drive mechanism 43 carried by frame 45, as shown in Fig. 9. The drive mechanism comprises a motor 46 carried by a bracket 47, which is pivotally mounted on a platform 44 by a pivot pin 48, which drives the roller 2 through the intermediation of the shaft 5, the pulleys 49 and 50, and the pulley chain 51. 'The reservoir 4 is secured to the bracket 47 by a shaft 52, rigidly mounted in bosses 5-3 on the reservoir side walls 9 and secured to lugs 60 depending from the bracket 47.

In order to place a container 1 in position under the roller 2 for application of adhesive to its rim, the roller 2 preferably is raised by the container as the container is moved into adhesive-applying position under the roller. This raising is conveniently provided by the pivotal mounting of the bracket 47 on the platform 44 by a pair of arms 54 and 56 which extend in opposite directions and form a rocking or tilting mounting for the roller and its driving mechanism. The arm 54 of the bracket 47 is mounted to move between springs 55, and the other arm 56 is mounted on an armature 57 of a solenoid 58, which tilts the bracket 47. Springs 55 also assure the application of the proper pressure by the roller 2 on the container rims for depositing the desired amount of adhesive thereon.

It will be seen that the present invention provides an improved method of applying adhesive to container rims 6 and an improved roller mechanism for applying adhesive evenly over the rim of the container, and assures a better bond between the disc and the rim of the container and also assures application of adhesive to the high and low portions, as well as the level portions, of the rims of the containers.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a mechanism for applying a safety seal to a con tainer rim having both high and low portions, the combination of a resilient rubber roller adapted to roll over said rim, said roller being provided with a plurality of adhesive-carrying, parallel, circumferential grooves on its periphery to supply adhesive to the container rim, means for .rotatably mounting said roller, means for supplying adhesive to said grooves, said roller being adapted to flex over the high portions of the container rim and flex into the low portions thereof and being adapted to deposit adhesive on the rim in substantially uniform alternate heavy and light zones, and said heavy zones of adhesive, upon application of a safety seal to the container rim, being adapted to level out and spread over the light zones.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,375,126 Willwerscheid Apr. 19, 1921 1,966,273 Waring July 10, 1934 2,004,079 McManus June 4, 1935 2,162,781 MacKenzie June 20, 1939 2,288,720 Knowlton July 7, 1942 2,531,036 Goettsch Nov. 21, 1950 2,747,541 Chew May 29, 1956 2.7 87.244 Hickin Apr. 2. 1957 

